Tokyo (AFP)

From a drop past narrowly, he saved the XV of France of a major failure: the opener replacing Camille Lopez, former incumbent of the post, is the hero in spite of himself of the Blues, winners of Argentina (23-21 ) for their entry into the World Cup.

"I see him go so high that I say: + It will never happen! + It took a while to go anyway ..." The Clermont is aware of not having entered the most beautiful drop of her career. But this is perhaps the most important so far.

"Beauty, we do not care, it was important to win today," smiled the opener forced to tap very high not to be opposed.

Did Emiliano Boffelli try to deceive the referee, or was it the Coué method? The Argentine back has signaled to the whole stadium, and to Mr. Gardner in particular, that the shot from the Basque had passed under the crossbar.

A moment of flutter followed, then the official raised his arm as a validation, allowing France to snatch a crucial success in the race to the quarter-finals of a very strong Group C.

Lopez (30 years old, 25 sel.) Took his responsibilities when he had just entered the field in place of Damian Penaud, out on concussion protocol (69th). And that Benjamin Urdapilleta had just given the advantage to Argentina on yet another French penalty (21-20), after a half-hour one-way for the Pumas.

"It's been a while since we were running after the ball, we did not have too much possession, we were a little under pressure, we could not hold the ball too much, they were ironed in front of the score ... so I tell myself that we must try to pass in front of us to do good head, "said the opener of the ASM.

- Australia, bad memory -

As soon as he entered the field, almost cold, he had to dare. Especially since it did not succeed in an identical scenario against Australia in 2016. And that he remained on a 3/6 perches against Scotland in a warm-up match mid-August (32-3) , while the coach Jacques Brunel seemed to want to redo his N.1.

A small percentage that may have tipped the scales in favor of Romain Ntamack, more comfortable in this exercise against Italy (47-19 August 30), when the staff had to decide between the two N .10 to start the match against the Pumas.

"It was the choice of the staff and it respects itself.When you know your mission, you accept it and you work hard for the team, tonight it smiled", relativizes Lopez, placed on the bench with other thirties, Louis Picamoles and Maxime Machenaud, to bring his experience in a late game at the end uncertain.

It's already a first World Cup match. Because in 2015, Lopez, choice N.1 of Philippe Saint-André during the Six Nations Tournament, had not been selected for the World Cup after a dispute between the coach and Clermont.

And in March, Lopez did not lead, widened again in the Tournament after the defeat of Twickenham - after which he had implicitly criticized the staff - and came into play at the last minute in Italy, what he lived as a humiliation.

At the Olympic stadium, Lopez refused to participate in the tour of honor, immediately taking refuge in the locker room. This time, the honors, it was he who had them, to the point of having to react in Spanish in front of the Argentinian cameras, in an approximate Castilian: "There is only my name which is Spanish!"

© 2019 AFP